The
vibrant ten-block district known as the Golden Triangle,
at the heart of downtown PITTSBURGH, stands at the confluence
of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers, once bitterly
fought over as the gateway to the West. The French built
Fort Duquesne on the site in 1754, only for it to be destroyed
four years later by the British, who replaced it with Fort
Pitt. Industry began with the development of iron foundries
in the early 1800s, and by the time of the Civil War, Pittsburgh
was producing half of the iron and one third of the glass
in the US. Soon after, the city became the world's leading
producer of steel, thanks to the vigorous expansion programs
of Andrew Carnegie, who, by 1870, was the richest man in
the world. Present-day Pittsburgh is dotted with his cultural
bequests, along with those of other wealthy forefathers
including the Mellon bankers, the Frick coal merchants and
the Heinz food producers.
Though
saddled with a Victorian reputation for dirt and pollution,
the city experienced a transformation after the 1950s. A
face-lift involved large-scale demolition of abandoned steel
mills, which freed up much of the downtown waterfront, but
all-out yuppification has been kept in check by the student
population and the small-town feel of the older ethnic neighborhoods
to the north and south. Pittsburgh today is one of America's
most attractive and most liveable cities; resilience and
enthusiasm rather than coal fumes fill the air, and sleek
architecture and green parks supplant smokestacks and slums.
The popular Andy Warhol Museum, opened in 1994, has bolstered
Pittsburgh's image as a destination city, while an enormous
new Convention Center will bring in major conferences, which
is sure to add to the influx of visitors.
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Kennywood
Amusement Park & National Aviary
Features 31 major rides, more than 30 games, 4 gift shops,
4 arcades and free live shows daily on two stages.
Featuring
200 species of birds and more than 500 colorful, exotic
and rare birds from all over the world.
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
Open year-round and home to over 4,000 animals in naturalistic
habitats. One of the top children's zoos in the country.
Carnegie Science Center
Explore
more than 250 exciting hands-on exhibits, live science demonstrations,
a gigantic Miniature Railroad display and much more.
The
Andy Warhol Museum
Most comprehensive single-artist museum in the world. Features
extensive permanent collections of art and archives.
Duquesne
Incline
Offers a spectacular view of Pittsburgh. Century-old cable
car travels between West Carson St. and the restaurants
of Grandview Ave.
Carnegie
Museum of Natural History
Holdings exceed 21 million objects and specimens, of which
15,000 are displayed and remainder used for research purposes.
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